A psychological thriller that glides on the gossamer threads of dream and interpersonal connection, STAY recalls MEMENTO and THE SIXTH SENSE in both its intensity and its ability to keep the audience guessing. Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) is a young psychiatrist who is filling in for a colleague on leave. Among his new patients is Henry Letham (a brooding Ryan Gosling), a young art student who hears voices and is seriously contemplating suicide. This resonates strongly with Sam, who rescued his painter girlfriend, Lila (Naomi Watts), from a wrist-slashing. The extremely volatile Henry begins to threaten Sam's hold on his own sanity, as he races against time to figure out the truth about Henry's past, the source of his troubles, and the cause of the seemingly unexplainable things that are happening to both of them. Sam investigates the ghostly figures of Henry's life, including Athena (Elizabeth Reaser), the girl Henry loved, and also his parents (Bob Hoskins and Kate Burton), uncovering ever more disturbing idiosyncrasies along the way.
Director Marc Forster (FINDING NEVERLAND, MONSTER'S BALL) delivers possibly the most thought-provoking film of 2005, with a head-spinning conclusion that, upon contemplation, proves highly satisfying. The three lead actors are unfailingly compelling in a story that's both exciting and spiritually rewarding. It unfolds against a palette of cool gray, with scenes that slide into one another, and a mise-en-scène that, for the observant viewer, is full of reflections and clues.
Theatrical Release: October 21, 2005
DVD Features:
Keep Case
Dual Side
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Surround - French, Spanish
Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Disc 1/Side A: STAY - Full Frame Version
Full Frame - 1.33
Additional Release Material:
Featurette - "The Music of STAY"
Trailers - Theatrical Trailer
Disc 1/Side B: STAY - Widescreen Version
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Marc Forster - Director, Ryan Gosling - Star (Specific Scenes)
2. Marc Forster - Director, Matt Chesse - Editor, Kevin Tod Haug - Visual Effects Designer, Roberto Schaefer - Cinematographer (Specific Scenes)
Featurette - "Departing Visions"
Stars
Ewan McGregor: Scottish, TRAINSPOTTING, THE ISLAND, BIG FISH
Naomi Watts: Actress, KING KONG (2005)
Ryan Gosling: Actor, HALF NELSON, THE NOTEBOOK
Kate Burton: American Character Actress
Bob Hoskins: British Actor
Elizabeth Reaser: American Actress in MIND THE GAP
Janeane Garofalo: Actress
B.D. Wong:
Director
Marc Forster: Director, MONSTER'S BALL (2001)
Producer
Bill Carraro: Producer
Guymon Casady: Producer, THE MATCH
Arnon Milchan: Producer
Tom Lassally:
Eric Kopeloff:
Composer
Asche & Spencer: Composers, JASPER, TEXAS
Editor
Matt Chesse:
Source Writer
David Benioff: Source Writer, THE 25TH HOUR (2002)
Director of Photography
Roberto Schaefer: Cinematographer
Review 1:
3 stars out of 5 -- "Forster's visionary brilliance demands and gets uncommon depth and subtlety from the actors. But it's Watts who guides us home. Stay with her."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.105 11/03/2005
Review 2:
"[The director] takes a maximalist approach to this mysterioso story..."
Source: New York Times
p.E29 10/28/2005
Review 3:
"[T]he man-made environment on show is attractively stylish..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.71-72 05/01/2006